Vacation Blues
by tromana
Summary: When Lisbon is shanghaied into taking a vacation to Hawaii, Jane tags along with unclear intentions. The first thing she finds in her hotel room is... a dead body. It's only natural she and Jane get involved in the case, while the borderline between friendship and something more is inevitably crossed.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Vacation Blues**  
Author:** tromana  
**Rating:** K+  
**Summary:** When Lisbon is shanghaied into taking a vacation to Hawaii, Jane tags along with unclear intentions. The first thing she finds in her hotel room is... a dead body. It's only natural she and Jane get involved in the case, while the borderline between friendship and something more is inevitably crossed.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Mentalist. Artwork is courtesy of my two artists.  
**Notes:** With huge, huge thanks to Miss Peg who beta'd this this fic. Thanks also to Lothiriel84 (who supplied the cover art) and caitriona_3 for deciding to make the artwork for it. Written for the Mentalist Big Bang 2012. Only now have I had the opportunity to cross-post. Dedicated to Chizuru-chibi.

**Vacation Blues**

**Part One**

Teresa Lisbon cradled her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder as she uncomfortably dragged along the suitcase behind her. She hadn't been best pleased at the suggestion she took a vacation, especially as it had a certain Patrick Jane's grubby fingerprints all over it. A month ago, he had innocuously asked her when she had last had an actual vacation - one where she spent time relaxing, sightseeing, doing things for herself rather than spending time with her brothers or locking her front door and eating copious amounts of ice cream in front of a movie marathon. Naturally, she had told him it was none of his damn business how she spent her annual leave. However, when she received notice that she was to take a mandatory break, along with some less than subtle vouchers for hotels in Hawaii, she had known exactly who was responsible. Jane had gone straight over her head and to the brass. Somehow, he had convinced them that the rest and relaxation would do her good; that she would come back energized and enthusiastic. It would increase her productivity a thousand per cent, or something ridiculous like that.

Worse, Jane had actually insisted that he check up on her. Somehow, he had made her promise that she called him when she arrived at the airport, after she landed and when she reached her designated hotel. If her recall of these events hadn't been crystal clear, then she would have seriously considered the idea that he had hypnotized her into doing as such. Instead, she knew it was her own fault. He'd hoodwinked her by saying he would go straight to her boss again if she didn't follow the exact orders to go relax and have a good time.

Silently, she cursed at herself. It wasn't that she was a workaholic; she was just very dedicated to her career. She liked to get stuff done. Lisbon had a social life; it just wasn't one she was happy to share with her coworkers. Somewhere along the line, they had crossed wires and become convinced that she was practically married to her job. And as a consequence, they believed she needed direct instructions in order to ensure that she recharged her batteries in an admittedly beautiful and secluded location.

"Yes, Jane, I'm here," she sighed down the phone. "Yes, the hotel is beautiful and I'm just reaching my room now."

"Good girl," Jane answered back and Lisbon frowned.

She swore she could hear an echo somewhere. Grumbling, she dumped her suitcase down in front of room 23 - her designated suite for the duration of her stay. Then, she returned her attention straight back to Jane.

"Say that again," she demanded.

"What, you really want me to say something that patronizing to you again?" he queried, clearly amused.

By the end of his statement, she had already pulled her cell phone away from her ear. However, she still caught the end of it and found herself staring at the door directly opposite her rooms. She knocked sharply on it precisely three times and waited patiently.

Sure enough, Jane himself eventually answered.

"Damn it, Jane!" she retorted, resisting the temptation to hit him square in the mouth. "Do you really think I cannot relax without you around?"

He opened his mouth to retort and she swiftly cut him off.

"No, I _know_ I cannot relax with you around," Lisbon corrected herself with frustration.

"Why not?" he asked, despite the fact he already knew the answer to that specific question.

"You wreak havoc wherever you go."

She was relieved when he didn't have the audacity to even pretend to be hurt by her statement. They both knew it was factually correct and there was more than enough evidence for her to back it up with; there was no point in arguing. However, that didn't stop him from trying to deny it, even if he hadn't been hurt by her observation.

"That's a little bit of an exaggeration."

"I can't take you anywhere," she said with a sigh.

"Yes you can. Twice, actually."

"No-"

"Once to actually go there, then a second time to apologize," Jane interrupted with a grin.

"Haha, very funny," she replied dryly. "Besides you never apologize."

"I do!"

"Fine. You never apologize and actually mean it."

"Lisbon…"

"Don't bother."

Part of her was surprisingly irritated at the fact her vacation had been hi-jacked by a certain Patrick Jane. It had been so long since she had last been away properly. Once the irritation had died away, she had even begun to look forward to a solid two weeks of rest and relaxation. The rest of her was entirely unsurprised and figured that with him around, she couldn't run the risk of actually getting bored. Jane never seemed capable of doing something normally; he always attracted trouble. Even so, she swiftly turned on her heels, stalked back to her suitcase and picked up the keys. Despite the fact that it hadn't bothered her as much as it probably should have done so, she knew that Jane had been out of order to behave in this way. He was encroaching on her personal time when their boundaries between professionalism and not had become blurred enough as it was. Stalking her on holiday just seemed to have an innate sense of wrongness about it, but he either didn't care or didn't think it mattered.

She refused to believe there was any chance of it being serendipitous. This was Patrick Jane she was facing, after all.

He hurried out to join her in the hallway and Lisbon scowled. She placed her belongings back down on the top of her suitcase and turned to face him. At the very least, he could have given her the chance to settle down into her hotel suite before bothering her, surely? Lisbon shook her head. Of course not. She already knew that he had little to no patience reserves. It had probably driven him insane waiting, alone, in his hotel room, eagerly anticipating her arrival.

In his hands was a seemingly innocuous piece of paper, but Lisbon already knew that this was Jane she was dealing with. Nothing about him was harmless; not even the document in his hands. Somewhere, there was going to be a trick up his sleeve, she just knew it. The question was what? She watched dubiously as he placed the piece of paper carefully over her suitcase and beckoned her to have a look.

"Can't this wait?" she asked, annoyed at herself for the slight whine in her tone.

"But Lisbon, these excursions are meant to be fascinating and there's only limited…" he started.

"Right now, I really don't care."

"But…"

"Jane," Lisbon said again, her stubbornness immediately coming through. "Might I remind you that _you_ were the one intent on my having a vacation? Well, let me enjoy it my way, okay?"

"Only if you get yourself out of 'boss mode', Teresa," he answered back, grinning.

"You're impossible."

She was relieved that he had finally acquiesced and removed the pamphlet from her bags. Lisbon breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her keys once more. Her eyes didn't leave Jane until he shut the door behind her. Then, she turned around and finally slotted the key into her room's door. Slowly, she swung it open and took a step inside.

It was only a matter of seconds until she saw the dead body, neatly arranged on the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** with thanks to: make-mine-a-kiaora, Frogster, red2013, Hayseed Socrates, Ebony10, livingandthriving, kathiann, Guest, Lalalupin, Jane Doe51 and Guest for reviewing part one.

x tromana

* * *

**Part Two**

Cautiously, Lisbon took a step into the room. As she did so, she patted down her pockets, trying desperately to find her cell phone. She frowned when she couldn't find it but briefly remembered what she had been doing beforehand. Then, she turned on her heels and faced Jane with an angry glare on her face. Sticking out her hand, she demanded that he returned it at once. After all, she had a crime to report.

"I don't have it," he answered with mock-innocence.

"And I don't have time for this," Lisbon answered back with a slight growl. "Come on, give it back."

When he placed the object in her hands with a sheepish expression, she rolled her eyes. It had been very unlike her to fall for such a basic Jane trick and she cursed herself for it. After all, she had known him for more than long enough to know what he was like. If she gave him an inch, he'd take a mile and that was precisely what he'd done. Then again, she had been on the back foot since her arrival at this hotel. She had never expected him to chase her out here, after all. Lisbon had no idea why he had been so intent on interrupting the vacation he insisted she had. In a way, she didn't even want to know either. After all, there were some rather uncomfortable thoughts associated with such a thing.

"Don't touch anything!" she shot at him quickly before exiting the room.

She wasn't quick enough, however, to miss the look on his face that said it all: _'what, do you really think I don't know that already?' _Despite the fact he had worked with her for an extensive period of time, she didn't trust his uncanny ability to cause trouble. Lisbon had lost count of the number of occasions he had been in a crime scene and forgotten to use gloves when playing around with vital evidence. It seemed like however often she reminded him of important details like that, it went in one ear and straight out of the other again.

With swift professionalism, she passed on the important details as quickly as feasibly possible. After a promise that the local authorities would be with her as soon as possible, Lisbon thanked the woman on the other end of the phone and swiftly ended the call. Then, partially due to morbid curiosity, but mostly because she wanted to stop Jane from wreaking havoc, Lisbon re-entered her hotel room.

Not that she had any intention of spending the night in there, of course. It was a crime scene and would be cordoned off as soon as possible.

"This is interesting," Jane eventually said without even bothering to look at her.

"What is?"

For the first time, she took a proper look at the body. It had been wrapped up in bandages, not too dissimilar to the way a mummy was wrapped up in Egyptian tombs. Blood had seeped its way through the materials, staining the otherwise pristine white appearance of both the body and bed. However, that wasn't what had captured Jane's attention.

He was staring at four containers that had been neatly arranged on the bedside table. Lisbon had never had much of an interest in Ancient Egypt, but she was fairly certain that they were facsimiles of the burial jars which were kept with the mummy. She also didn't need to be told that generally, that was what the organs of the deceased were stored in. That was basic history, after all.

"Canopic jars. Duamutef, Hapi, Imseti and Qebehsenuef," Jane stated, pointed each jar out one by one. "A bit rough, but a good try nevertheless."

"Very clever," Lisbon replied dryly. "Somebody obviously listened in class."

"Please, you know I didn't go to school like you did."

Lisbon shook her head, but smiled slightly as she did so. "You don't think…"

"We'll only find out if we have a look."

She didn't need to say a word for him to quickly backtrack. Lisbon watched as he took three steps backwards and turned to face her once more. Only Jane would have suggested that they took a look inside some jars which were designed to contain human organs. From what she could see of the body, she wouldn't have been surprised if the killer had actually gone through with it. After all, if they had bothered to make the jars, they might as well have carried it out with the same attention to detail.

"Or not," he continued swiftly. "After all, this isn't our jurisdiction."

"No, it isn't," she agreed quickly.

With a sigh, Lisbon quickly vacated the room and Jane followed her. She turned, instructed him to wait at the room while she informed the management of the latest developments. Though, in her professional opinion, it was likely that one of them was responsible for the death, they had a right to know. After all, it was their property and there were officers on their way to investigate imminently.

Unsurprisingly so, the news that there had been a murder at the hotel spread like wildfire and Lisbon spent a good ten minutes attempting to keep people away from the body. Eventually, officers turned up and took over the guard duty. Lisbon meanwhile perched on the edge of her suitcase with Jane beside her. Part of her was itching to get involved and she knew Jane felt the same. This was one of those cases that piqued his interests. It seemed like it was the kind he would have found a challenge back home and thus, he'd pay particular attention to it.

However, she also knew that she had to trust the men to do their job. She was well and truly off duty and therefore, the only interest she should have in the case was the simple fact that she had been the first one to realize a crime had been committed in this hotel. Beyond that, there was theoretically nothing she could do. Except for offering her services should they be required, of course. Nobody seemed interested in talking to her just yet though. Instead, they were busy trying to keep people away, searching the place inch by inch and talking to the management.

It was interesting, though, seeing how cops in other states approached a crime scene. She had seen so many in her lifetime and yet, had a certain routine she liked to go about at each one. Often, one of the first things she liked to do was ensure that she had people in the vicinity of the murder, especially the one who reported it questioned as soon as possible. They usually had vital information to share, things that could easily be forgotten over the course of time.

That was why she hadn't disappeared and why she stood to shake the hand of the man who finally approached her after two hours of waiting.

"Teresa Lisbon?"

"Yes?" she replied, questioningly.

"You were the one who discovered the body, I believe?"

"I did."

"We'd like to take you back to the office for questioning."

The man placed a hand on her shoulder, one which suggested if she dared move, he'd have her in an arm lock in an instant. Lisbon didn't even need to look at Jane to know just how ridiculously funny he was finding the situation.

After all, only _she_ could go on vacation and find a dead body.

Of course, as far as she was concerned, it was his fault. She wouldn't have bothered coming to Hawaii if it wasn't for him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** With thanks to everyone who reviewed part 2.

x tromana

* * *

**Part Three**

"So, Ms. Lisbon, where were you between the hours of eleven p.m. and eleven a.m. this morning?"

Jane let out an indistinct noise in the corner of the interrogation room and Lisbon shot him a dirty glare before she chose to answer the ludicrous question. Of course he would find the fact that she had somehow wound up as being a person of interest in the case absolutely hilarious. It was just in his nature to act in such a way. Then again, this wasn't exactly the restful vacation that either of them had anticipated. In fact, it was even less restful than the fact that Jane was here at all.

However interesting she found the workings of other states' police departments and especially, how they dealt with murder, this wasn't quite what she envisaged for her vacation. She was meant to be taking a break from thinking about murder, and crime in general. And instead, she was here mentally critiquing the performance of fellow law enforcement officers. If anything, it all seemed a little unprofessional compared to what she was used to. It was like the two male cops sitting opposite her simply didn't have a clue what they were doing. At the very least, they seemed completely unprepared for any type of interrogation or questioning.

"I was at home, alone, in Sacramento," she started and drummed her fingers against the desk. "Then, I checked into the airport for my flight at eight a.m. The flight was at nine. I got off the plane at two thirty-three p.m. PDT, which is eleven thirty-three HAST. And before you ask, there were a couple hundred witnesses who can confirm my alibi."

"And after that?" the first cop, Agent Halligan, persisted.

"I got a cab, went straight to the hotel, where I met Jane and found the body. I called it in straight away, considering it's not in my jurisdiction."

"Your jurisdiction? You're a cop?" Agent Decosta stated, with a note of surprise in his voice.

"Senior Agent for the Serious Crimes Unit with the California Bureau of Investigation," Lisbon replied clearly and she pushed forwards her badge as proof of identification. "Patrick Jane is my consultant, who somewhat foolishly, decided it would be a good idea to chase me out here."

"Technically, I didn't chase you as I arrived here first," Jane replied hotly.

"Whatever," Lisbon said coolly and she turned to face the agents in front of her once again.

They were inspecting her identification with considerable interest. Lisbon was used to this. Even with her gun and badge, some people still expressed surprised that a woman of her stature could ever have risen up so high in her career of choice. In some ways, she enjoyed it thoroughly. She loved taking people by surprise and surpassing their expectations. It also meant that criminals had the tendency to complete underestimate her physical prowess. However, it also grew a bit weary after a while. Sometimes, she hated having to explain herself and almost apologize for being who she was.

Halligan quickly excused himself and disappeared with her badge. Jane took the opportunity to take the vacated seat and he smiled broadly. Lisbon had to wonder why they hadn't dared to ask Jane where he had been during the time of the murder. After all, he had taken his flight approximately twenty-four hours before she had. If either of them had remotely useful information they could share with these hapless excuses for agents, it was him. And even if Jane didn't have anything useful to share with them, Lisbon knew they could both offer their services in other ways.

But then, that wouldn't be relaxing. Instead, it would have been taking work away with her, theoretically speaking. That was something she had sworn she wouldn't do, out of principle. Lisbon had been under direct instruction to relax and that was precisely what she was intending to do. That was as soon as she could escape this place. However, at the same time, something was nagging at the back of her mind. Who was the victim and why had they been dressed like an Egyptian mummy? Why had the body been placed in her hotel room specifically? Or was it just a coincidence that it had been there at all? Why would anyone go to such an effort in bloody murder, why not just keep it simple? And had the organs been removed and placed in the canopic jars as Jane had suspected?

"And Mr. Jane? What about you?" Decosta said, turning to face him.

"Me? I was out til late last night, taking in the sights that Honolulu has to offer. I got back to the hotel at around one a.m. Had an early breakfast, and then went to the Bishop Museum. At around midday, I headed back to the hotel to meet Teresa after her flight."

"And can anyone verify that?"

"Not anyone I know personally, but I'm sure if you talk to the receptionist at the hotel and museum, they would be able to confirm the facts. I also have my timed and dated ticket stub from the hotel, if you think that will help my case."

"Why do you think we'd do this anyway?" Lisbon added.

"I don't know," Decosta answered quietly. "They say that murderers like to watch as their case unfolds, it gives them a thrill…"

"And what better way to get involved than to report the murder?" Jane finished succinctly.

Lisbon let out a derisive snort. It was becoming increasingly obvious that these guys hadn't been doing this job very long and were feeling out of their depth. Halligan burst in at that moment, almost breathless, with some sheets of paper in his hands. She suspected that this was the research they should have done prior to starting the interview and soon had this hunch confirmed when Halligan apologized profusely.

"What you've achieved in California is nothing short of phenomenal. You two, you've closed so many cases. Even a notorious serial killer…"

The words died in the air. Red John had been sent to death row approximately one year ago and it was a subject they tried to avoid. Sooner or later, when an execution date was fixed, Lisbon knew they'd have to face those demons again, but for now, it was simply easier to ignore them. She glanced warily over at Jane who squirmed uncomfortably. Once, there had been a time when he had vowed to leave after Red John was dealt with. However, he'd stuck around and she still wasn't entirely sure why. She never asked, figuring that she would work it out sooner or later, or he'd just tell her.

"You're free to go," he added, more to confirm the facts to himself than anyone else. "And once again, I apologize-"

"Thank you," Lisbon answered primly.

"You know where to find us if you need anything else," Jane added, smiling once again.

Once they got outside the headquarters of the Hawaii State Police Department, she rounded on Jane. The thoughts had been plaguing her ever since she realized Jane had been around when the body had been placed, in the hotel room, even if the victim hadn't met his (or her) untimely demise there. From the brief look at the crime scene, she suspected the murder had taken place elsewhere and as far as she was concerned, Jane probably knew as well.

After all, he was a chronic insomniac. He also freely admitted that he had been in the hotel, in close proximity to the crime scene, when it had happened. And he hadn't breathed a word to the two hapless cops who had tried to insinuate that they had anything to do with it.

"Right, Jane. Tell me, what do you really know about this murder?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Depression is still totally kicking me down. I am sorry for the slow updates, but I will try and get better. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous part. I appreciate it.

x tromana

* * *

**Part Four**

When Jane didn't immediately answer, Lisbon let out an audible sigh and rubbed her temples. Of course, she was used to this. Jane never had the common decency to answer any of her questions, whether they were direct or indirect requests. Instead, he liked to play mind games and tricks in order to eventually reveal the answer, but not without causing a lot of stress and paperwork for her as a result. She knew it was ultimately worth it; she had watched him come from a husk of a man to being the person standing beside her now. However, Lisbon would never deny the simple fact that sometimes, she could have down without all the anger and frustration it caused for her.

"I swear to God, Jane, if you don't tell me the truth right now, then I am going to drag you back inside this building and leave _them_ to deal with you. In fact, I should probably do that anyway."

"I didn't see anything."

"I know you; you don't sleep."

"Much," he corrected her immediately. "Even you have woken me up from naps before."

"So, you really did sleep through it?" she asked dubiously.

"No, I was woken. But I wrote it off as some people coming in late, drunk, after a party or something."

He shrugged noncommittally and Lisbon raised a skeptical eyebrow. She had known Jane for long enough to know it was highly unusual for him to not be at least a little bit intrigued by strange noises in the middle of the night. As they started to casually walk away, she shoved her hands in her jacket pocket before she spoke.

"That's strange of you."

"I was tired," he said defensively. "It had been a long flight and I always fly badly."

Lisbon nodded; she knew that much was true. She had spent far too many short haul flights across the state of California, with him fidgeting, moaning and generally making a nuisance of himself beside her. It made her question briefly just why he had chosen to take a vacation with her when he knew it involved a much-loathed flight. But then, deep down, she thought she probably knew the answer anyway. He enjoyed her company, and though she would never admit it to his face, the feeling was entirely mutual. Clearly, he had thought it preferable to take his vacation time at the same time as her, and in the same place too, than be stuck in the office with the rest of the team.

At least it meant she wouldn't have a chance to get bored or lonely. But then, she had a shrinking suspicion that Agents Decosta and Halligan may well offer her a quick courtesy call sooner or later. Once they realized the facts, they seemed a little in awe of them, Halligan especially. Even so, she wasn't going to spend this vacation exclusively working a case when she should have been taking a break from thinking about murder, nor was she going to spend all of her time in Jane's pocket. She had every intention of trying to seek out at least a little peace and quiet. Otherwise, there was the possibility that she may end up being forced to take another vacation. And considering this one hadn't been entirely wanted in the first place, she wasn't sure if she could warm up to the concept of another one quite so soon.

"And before you ask," Jane added hurriedly. "I'm certain that the victim wasn't killed in your hotel room. I didn't hear anybody screaming for their lives; otherwise I would have paid more attention."

"I'm not sure whether to be relieved or horrified," she replied dryly.

"Why?"

"Dealing with murderers armed with nothing but your wits, in a strange state and half asleep? I wouldn't even count on _your_ chances, Jane."

Jane brushed her issues aside with the wave of a hand, much to Lisbon's irritation. Even though Red John had been arrested and convicted of his crimes, Jane had still held onto his slightly reckless streak and it worried her. Sometimes, she wondered if he simply stayed with the CBI out of force of habit rather than anything else. Clearly, he still needed something to live for, but she didn't know exactly what would help him. All she could do was continue to offer him the (hopefully) calming presence, as she had done so for so many years. He still had so many demons to work through, but she couldn't help him unless he talked to her. Just letting him know she was there for him was the very best she could do.

Without needing to talk about it, they continued heading towards the hotel. Lisbon was glad for it; she really needed to work out where she was actually going to be staying for the night as her assigned quarters were completely out of the question. Just because the dead body had presumably been removed, it didn't stop it from being a crime scene. And in all honesty, she was feeling a little bit drawn and tired thanks to the stresses of the day that she'd had to endure.

"You brought your badge with you?" Jane said suddenly, taking her off guard. "Why?"

"Why not?" she immediately countered.

"I'm guessing that it's a force of habit, and a security measure. As far as you're concerned, it's a part of your identity and you feel a little bit lost without it."

Lisbon shrugged her shoulders in response. She didn't put much thought into the reason why she had brought her badge with her. He was probably right though; it was something that would have irritated her years ago, but she was so used to Jane reading into her each and every action and decision that it didn't bother her either way now. She was used to the secondhand embarrassment it occasionally caused and the fact that she could keep little to no secrets from him. Patrick Jane and his antics were something she had had to mold herself around, as there was no chance of him switching off his abilities. Besides, it was those abilities of his which had time and time again proven to be useful. It was that what closed cases.

They fell into a restful silence for a while. Her anger at his sudden appearance during her vacation had slowly dissipated. Now, she was almost glad to have another piece of home to hold onto, to have him by her side. Out of everyone she knew, her family included, it was him that she was closest to by a long distance. Jane knew her inside out and upside down, and she liked to think that she knew him very well also. Besides, she had a shrinking suspicion that either Agent Decosta or Agent Halligan would be calling them up soon to ask for their assistance. And if she was going to work on a case when she was meant to be having a break, then it was going to useful having him around.

Jane held the door to the hotel open for her, and she quietly thanked him for his not entirely surprising act of chivalry. Whenever he did act like this, it was always spontaneous and part of them. In truth, it was this side of him which had given her hope in his humanity. If she hadn't seen that innate goodness in him, then she would have given up on him a long while ago. The receptionist looked up as they approached and a frown had knotted between her eyebrows.

"Ms. Lisbon?"

"That's me," she said, surprised that the woman had recognized her from the morning.

"We have a problem."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** You can call this 'problems with following a depressed fanfiction author' if you like. I'm sorry for the delay in posting, but my mind keeps taking flights of fancy and that means I'm highly distractable. I'm finding it hard to write my novel, even. Anyway, here's the next part.

With thanks to my readers for their patience and especially to: Water-please, Totorsog, livingandthriving, Guest, Hayseed Socrates, MerriWyllow, Jane Doe51, red2013, make-mine-a-kiaora, Idan, kathiann, Lalalupin, phoenixx87, and Milarqui for reviewing part 4.

x tromana

**Part Five**

With an experienced hand, Lisbon dealt with the impossible receptionist with ease. It didn't take much effort or energy for her to be polite with people who annoyed her. She'd had more than enough experience with that, thanks to three wayward brothers and a certain Patrick Jane. Of course, both Jane and the receptionist were trying her patience, but that was something she tried not to show. Besides, the situation wasn't the poor girl's fault and she could tell that she was out of her depth. In reality, this was something the management should have been dealing with, but they had left it to an inexperienced child who was probably in her first job.

When Lisbon thanked her for her time, the girl seemed relieved that they were finally leaving her in peace. The feeling was mutual; she knew that Jane could tell she was getting annoyed and he was practically hopping from foot to foot, waiting for her to explode when it came to their current dilemma. It was only when they had reached the elevator and the doors had shut firmly behind them that she decided to speak. There was no point in trying to hide things from Jane; it would just force him to push her further, until she told him anyway.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lisbon hissed under her breath.

"Well they can't help if there are no other vacancies, Teresa."

She quickly sent him a pointed glare, but Lisbon knew that wouldn't be enough to silence Jane. He smiled broadly in response and instead of encouraging him, she chose to stalk off in the direction of the hotel room. Already, she was feeling tired and irritable: the complete opposite of the reason she had been prescribed this vacation. How was she supposed to relax when it was practically turning into a mitigated disaster before her very eyes? When Jane quickly followed her, she wasn't surprised in the slightest. Where, precisely, else was he going to go? Just because they were in a different state, it didn't mean he was going to change his M.O.

"I should see if there are any vacancies elsewhere," she eventually said when he joined her in front of their room. Lisbon didn't doubt that Jane had been using the silence against her for the past five minutes and she figured that sometimes, it was just easier to let him win. Sometimes, their silence was companionable, but this wasn't one of those occasions.

"What and spend your whole vacation wasting time looking for another room? And the additional expenditure if you were able to find one?" Jane pointed out, ever the logical one. "At least they have already said they will reimburse you for the duration of your stay."

"That's not the point."

"I know, but is it really that difficult for you to share a room with me? You know that I don't snore."

Lisbon let out a hoarse laugh in response. Part of her did believe that, yes, it really was that bad. Instead of getting two weeks of peace away from him and letting him be Cho's problem for a change, she was practically being forced to spend the time in even closer proximity than usual. And considering he practically seemed to live in her pocket when she was at home, that was quite impressive. Lisbon knew that Jane knew her inside out already, but that didn't stop her from trying to build barriers between them. It was her way of protecting herself from what she perceived as being an inevitable hurt. And then, there was the fear of the unknown and that was half the reason she continued to hold him at arm's length. She had a shrinking suspicion that this would only serve to break them down once again. If it weren't for the presence of the dead body, Lisbon would have believed that Jane had somehow managed to orchestrate this whole debacle.

But then, as he opened the door to their shared quarters, she figured that at least she wouldn't have the chance to get bored or lonely. Part of the reason she loved her job so much was because she was always being pushed to the very limits, and even more so since Jane had made his spectacular entrance into her life. Though she would never tell him that - he could be insufferable enough as it was - she had always been grateful for his presence in her life. It was just a shame that he had had to initially join her under such tragic circumstances. At least he had stayed after though; that said something about their working partnership. And possibly their personal relationship too, though she never allowed her mind to dwell on that particular issue. It was too unhealthy for her to do such a thing.

This time, she took a proper look around the quarters. It looked comfortable and welcoming at a closer inspection. Everything they could possibly have needed had been supplied - including an electric kettle so that Jane could have his tea. It was practically perfect for a two week vacation for a couple, but then again, she hadn't really expected anything less. Lisbon sat down on the cream couch, which was situated underneath the light and airy window and stared at the bed when another issue reared its ugly head.

"I am not sharing a bed with you," she stated bluntly.

"I wouldn't ask you to," Jane assured her.

"I'll be fine on the couch."

"Don't be ridiculous. We both know that I don't sleep. You take the bed."

"I-" she started, but Jane swiftly cut her off, much to her irritation.

"I'm not arguing about this, Teresa. You take the bed."

"But it's your room. You paid good money for it," she persisted.

He shrugged his shoulders, but Lisbon already knew that he was adamant about this. Sometimes, he could be as stubborn as she was and it was on those occasions when they really ended up butting heads. But in reality, Lisbon knew that this was one of those trivial things and there was no point in arguing, especially when he was going to inevitably get his own way. Slowly, he sat down beside her and rested his hand on her right thigh. She didn't react to the touch; she neither welcomed it nor rejected it. Jane had a habit of being fairly tactile with her, even more so since Red John had been dealt with. Lisbon knew that he needed touch in order to feel connected with those he trusted. And considering she knew that he could count the number of people he truly trusted on one hand, she wasn't going to push him away.

"I got a discount. And besides, you'll make better use of it."

"If you're sure?" she said tentatively.

"Of course I am," he replied, smiling and looked her directly in the eye.

"Well, thanks. I guess."

They fell into a restive silence. This time it was a lot more comfortable than any previous ones. The vacation was less than twelve hours old and Lisbon already had to adjust to so many unexpected changes to it. As far as she was concerned, it was a good job she was used to this kind of thing. In the end, the silence was punctuated by the sound of her cell phone ringing cheerily. The number was unknown, but when she heard Agent Decosta on the other end of the line, she wasn't entirely surprised. Lisbon spoke quickly and concisely and when she turned to face Jane, he was already grinning from ear to ear.

"It was Agent Decosta," Lisbon explained before Jane had a chance to pre-empt her.

"They want our help?"

"They want our help," she confirmed, echoing his exact words.


End file.
